


Touch

by xsticknoodlesx



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Happy Ending, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, Lots of References to Iroh, Lots of References to Iroh & Zuko's Relationship, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Self Confidence Issues, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 18:34:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21563107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xsticknoodlesx/pseuds/xsticknoodlesx
Summary: 5 times the Gaang tried to comfort Zuko but he wouldn’t let them touch him, and the 1 time he let them help.
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Suki & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko
Comments: 35
Kudos: 958
Collections: Finished111





	Touch

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who rewatched their favourite childhood show? Me! And guess who also feels bad for Zuko and wants him to be loved and accepted by the Gaang? Also me!
> 
> Enjoy this ^^

I.

Toph sat up when the screams started, listening for the direction of where they were coming from.

“It sounds like Zuko.” She mumbled and slowly got up, walking down the dark corridor to his room. 

Once she made it to the door, the screams had turned into anguished sobs and Toph felt her stomach drop as ideas of what could cause this much distress filled her head. She expected an attack, she expected someone that had broken in. But what she didn’t expect was to not find anyone else in the room. Zuko hadn’t even left his bed. And by his heart rate and breathing, she could tell he wasn’t even awake, yet.

“Zuko?” She slowly shuffled closer to the bed, weary of surprising him after what happened to her feet the last time.

The only thing she got in response was more pained sobs and panicked whimpers along with the whisper of the word ‘no’. Toph sighed, deciding she had to get closer, despite her fears. With a deep breath, she inched closer and eventually touched Zuko’s arm, shaking him slightly.

He was burning up, his body hot and sweaty from his nightmares and the subsequent tossing and turning. She wanted to flinch away, but kept her hand on his arm and gave it another shake.

This time, Zuko’s breathing changed and Toph clearly felt the moment he woke up. He then shot into a sitting position, sobs still escaping his body. Toph resisted her urge to flinch away when he turned to her.

“Don’t touch- Toph?” Zuko choked out. “Do you need anything?”

“I heard you screaming.” Toph said boldly. “Were you having a nightmare?”

“What? No, of course not.” Zuko shook his head and stood up, walking from Toph.

She heard rustling in the background and turned to the source of the noise. “What are you doing? I’m trying to comfort you!”

“I don’t need to be patronized!”

“I am not patronizing you!” Toph scoffed. “There’s a difference between patronizing and caring about someone, you know?”

Zuko went quiet for a few seconds and Toph approached him again. She knew he had pulled out something made from paper or something out of a paper containment. So she went to snatch it from Zuko. When she succeeded the firebender turned around, grabbing her arm.

“I got it!” Toph exclaimed. “I knew you were-“ She sighed. “What’s on this? Is it a portrait or a painting? I wanted to get it to see for myself but- well, that didn’t work out for obvious reasons.”

Zuko’s voice sounded panicked when it came out. “Give it back to me and don’t break it!”

“What is it?”

“A painting of my uncle.” Zuko admitted after a pause. “I- Look, don’t think of me as a wuss now but I wanted to see his face.”

Toph let out a dry laugh. “Me, thinking of you as a wuss? Buddy, I know how dangerous you can be; I’d never think of you as a wuss.”

Zuko nodded and sat back down, taking the portrait from her. “Good.”

Toph sighed softly and decided to sit down next to him. “Do you miss him?”

“Yes.” Zuko admitted.

The next thing Toph did wasn’t really something she did often. She had learned that touch helped calm people down from her time with the others. It was true. Touch did calm people down. She hoped it would help Zuko, so she slowly reached out to wrap an arm around him and rub his arm.

Zuko flinched away from her. “Don’t touch me!”

“I’m sorry!” Toph raised her hands in defeat. “I wanted to help you! I mean, I doubt you’d tell me about the nightmare so I had hoped this would help!”

“Well, you’re right!” Zuko stood up. “I won’t tell you about it but I also don’t need to be patronized!”

Toph rose to her feet. “Fine, I’ll leave.”

Before she could get out the door, she heard Zuko speak up again. “Thank you for waking me, though.”

“It’s what friends do.” She shrugged.

“Friends?”

She didn’t answer him and simply walked back to the others. All she heard was Zuko letting himself fall back onto the bed before loudly exclaiming something unintelligible – he had probably buried his face in his pillow.

\---

II.

The evening after Zuko and Sokka returned from Boiling Rock, they all decided to have a little party to celebrate Hakoda and Suki being back. 

While everyone was laughing and eating, Sokka noticed that Zuko had snuck off. He slowly rose to his feet and excused himself before he headed off, away from the warm fire and into the cold evening air.

When he found Zuko, the prince was sitting at the edge of the stone structure, looking down into the abyss. Sokka approached slowly, not wanting to startle the other boy. He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Zuko sniffling quietly.

Sokka was about to turn around and leave, really not wanting to have to comfort Zuko of all people, when he heard the other sob quietly, rubbing his eyes. 

“Zuko?” Sokka asked tentatively, getting closer again.

Zuko froze all over, quickly rubbing at his eyes with his hand. “What? Want me to join your little party?”

“Not really.” Sokka mumbled as he sat down next to Zuko.

“Figures.”

“What?”

“I mean, I came here to teach Aang, not to make friends. I’m not going to come to your party.” Zuko averted his gaze, looking at anything but Sokka.

Sokka heaved a sigh and turned to Zuko. “Listen, buddy, I heard you crying. I want to befriend you as much as you want to befriend us which probably means not at all but I want to know what’s wrong. It’s totally not nice to have one person of the team just crying while everyone else is having fun.”

Zuko shook his head. “Quit assuming things about me!”

“Come again?” Sokka asked in confusion. “What? Do you want to be our friend?”

“I don’t need friends!”

“Okay, now I’m confused on what to do.”

“I have everything I need! I know where I’m headed and once this is over, maybe I can apologize to my uncle and we can be a family again.” Zuko stopped and swallowed. “If he accepts me back into his life.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

“Do you miss your uncle or are you scared that he’ll turn away from you?”

“Both, I guess.” Zuko sighed deeply, looking down at the abyss. “Go back to celebrating with your friends and your father.”

“Your uncle was like a father to you, wasn’t he? And now we’re all here, like a little family and you realize how much you miss him.” Sokka turned to Zuko.

“I didn’t ask to be psychoanalysed but I guess you’re right. He was like a father to me and now that I’m changing my ways, I would have liked to have him by my side.”

“I’m sure he’s proud of you for doing this on your own.”

“You think so?”

“Yes, and I also think that he will want you back in his life. I’m sure he loves you very dearly.” Sokka said softly. “Everyone should get a second chance.”

“I was horrible to him so often. Why would he put up with me again?”

“He put up with your confused search for destiny and your anger in the past, why shouldn’t he want you back, now that you’re doing the right thing?”

“I guess you’re right.”

“Aren’t I always?”

“I beg to differ.”

“Then beg.” Sokka chuckled and then scooted closer before he put a hand to Zuko’s back and rubbed it. “I may be wrong a lot but this time I’m right.”

At Sokka’s touch, Zuko almost jumped off the air temple. He quickly got up and shook his head. Sokka looked at him in confusion.

“I don’t need to be coddled and I don’t need to be patronised!”

“I’m trying to help you!”

“You did and I’m thankful but touching me isn’t necessary!”

\---

III.

Suki stopped in her tracks when she ran into Zuko after everyone had already retired to their tents. He looked up at her in confusion.

“Do you want to talk to Sokka, too?” He whispered, lowering his head. “You can go first. I can wait. I just need to talk to him.”

“Is it about what Katara said?”

“What?” Zuko turned to her. “No, that’s not-”

“Don’t lie to me.” Suki warned. “I trust you now. Don’t ruin it by lying to me.”

“I understand why she doesn’t trust me.” Zuko sighed and leaned against the rock. “I’m just hurt.”

“Hurt?” Suki crossed her arms, leaning against the rock next to him. 

Zuko shook his head. “I don’t get to feel hurt about this, I know. I was a horrible person and I know that. I didn’t come here to make friends; I came here to do the right thing.”

“Then why are you hurt?”

“Perhaps some dumb, hopeful, naïve part of me was hoping that I could befriend you guys, that I could be accepted and that I’d have people who care about me again.” Zuko shook his head. “I don’t deserve to feel hurt about this; it’s all my fault.”

“But these are your feelings and you deserve to feel them. Your pain demands to be felt. Otherwise, you cannot get over it.” Suki said softly. “When I was in prison I felt guilty for leaving my girls behind when they separated us. For the longest time, I thought I was feeling sorry for myself and that I didn’t deserve to feel this way. They deserved to be hurt and sad, but not me.”

“But you didn’t betray them.”

“It felt like it.” Suki sighed. “Emotions need to be felt, whether you feel like you deserve to feel them or not. If you just bury these feelings in you, they will eat you up from the inside. Let your feelings out, if you want to feel better.”

Zuko sunk down the rock they were leaning on and buried his face in his knees. Suki looked on as he curled in on himself miserably. She slid down the rock as well and wrapped her arms around him without thinking twice.

The boy next to her recoiled from her touch, scooting away from her. “Don’t touch me!”

“I’m sorry!” She exclaimed. “I didn’t know it-”

“I don’t deserve this comfort and care! Go hug Katara; she never did anything wrong!” Zuko snapped at her, tears gathering in his eyes.

“Are you crying?” Suki asked tentatively. 

“Leave me be!”

“Suki, what’s going on out there?” Sokka poked his head out of the tent and quickly made a face at the scene in front of him. “I didn’t know this was what was going on out here. I’ll just get back into-”

“Back into the tent with you!” Suki ordered softly. “You’re not helping!”

Sokka nodded and did as he was told. Suki inched closer to Zuko who only recoiled farther from her.

“Zuko, talk to her. The only thing that can help you two is an open and truthful conversation.” Suki said softly.

“I tried!”

“Then try harder.” She said softly. “If it helps at all: I trust you.”

“Thank you.”

\---

IV.

Aang got startled out of his meditation when he heard a pained scream from outside the house they were staying in. He quickly rose to his feet, already fearing the worst. When he got outside, he saw Zuko on the floor, holding his side.

“Zuko!” He exclaimed, jumping down to the ground, stopping his fall with airbending. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Zuko got up and brushed his tunic off. “I- My firebending is still not as good as I’d like it to be! How am I supposed to teach you?”

“You’re a great teacher, even if you’re a bit pushy.” Aang laughed nervously, rubbing his neck. “But you are good at it.”

“Why are you all even putting up with me?” Zuko snapped in frustration. “All I do is get you guys into trouble!”

“That’s not true.”

“Yes, it is! You don’t have to sugar-coat it. I can’t imagine why anyone would put up with me, even my uncle.” Zuko shook his head.

“What happened?” Aang questioned in confusion.

Zuko rubbed his face in frustration. “I tried to do something my uncle used to try and teach me when I was a boy but I messed up like I always do.”

“I thought you were back to normal bending after our little trip to find the origins of firebending?” Aang asked.

“Well, yes but I have never been the best bender out there. When I was younger, I was so much worse than Azula which is why I've prefered swords.” Zuko shook his head. “Back to normal doesn’t mean good. I need to get better.”

“You are good the way you are.”

“I don’t need any feel-good lessons from the Avatar.” Zuko scoffed. “I know I’m not good enough to fight.”

“You were good enough to fight when we were attacked by the explosions guy or your sister or-”

“Is till feel useless. You’re not learning as fast as I had hoped and it means I’m a bad teacher.”

“No, I just need to try harder, Zuko. That’s not your fault.” Aang promised, inching closer and putting a hand on his arm. “I’ll try harder and you be a good teacher, yes?”

Zuko flinched away, nodding and waving his hand dismissively. “Yes, we all need to work harder.”

“Zuko, are you alright?”

“Yes, of course!” Zuko exclaimed rather loudly. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Aang made a face. “Because you jumped back several meters because I rubbed your arm and now you’re probably loud enough to alert the whole world to our location.” 

Zuko quickly clamped his mouth shut. “I’m sorry. I’ll be quiet.”

“No, I meant-”

“I’m fine.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Aang asked softly. “Touch is important to almost every living creature. Even Appa likes cuddles.”

Zuko nodded and began to head off. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, okay?”

“I can’t not worry about you when you react like this to the simplest touches and shows of affection.”

“Then try not to.”

\---

V.

The night after the play after everyone had retired to their rooms, Katara thought she was the only one still walking around the house. While she was extinguishing the last lights, she found the front door wide open. Her hands ready to attack any intruder, she approached the porch but quickly dropped her hands and bent the water back into her pouch when she saw it was Zuko sitting outside.

“Zuko?”

Said boy quickly looked up from where he had his head buried in his arms. “You don’t have to extinguish the lights. I’ll do so once I get back inside.”

“It’s getting a little chilly out. Why don’t you come back inside?” 

“Why do you care?”

“Well, you’re part of the group. I wouldn’t want you getting sick.” Katara said softly, crouching down next to Zuko.

The boy scoffed at that. “Because you’d have to take care of me then? Or perhaps you all wouldn’t do that. It’d only be inconvenient that Aang would have to take a break from training, right?”

“Oh, Zuko, don’t be like that!” Katara shook her head. “We do care about you outside of you being Aang’s teacher.”

“Not many people cared about me unless I was useful for them. Why should this all be any different?” Zuko shook his head and buried it back in his arms.

“Why don’t you come and mope around inside?” Katara offered. “I don’t want you catching a cold out in this chilly night.”

Zuko reluctantly got up, feeling that Katara wasn’t going to let up. He walked inside after her and she closed the door. Zuko crossed his arms over his chest, eyeing her.

“Now I’m inside. You can go to your room now. I’ll extinguish the lights.”

“Zuko, what’s wrong?” Katara asked in a gentle voice. “This is- you have been acting different ever since the play.”

“Good observation.” Zuko said mockingly.

Katara shook her head. “What? Are you sulking about the way you were portrayed? Come on, I was portrayed as a crybaby and Sokka wasn’t any better. I think the only one that liked her portrayal is Toph.”

“It’s not about that!” Zuko snapped at her and turned away. “You don’t understand.”

“Then help me understand.”

After a long moment of silence, Zuko began to speak again. “My uncle was always there for me since I was a child. He comforted me when I was scared, he encouraged me after a failed lesson with my father, he defended me against Azula’s mocking, he convinced my father to let me into the war meeting and after the Agni Kai he took care of my wounds, both physically and emotionally.”

“And you feel bad about the way you treated him?”

“I haven’t seen him in so long, not since I betrayed him. He only ever tried to help me and support me, and all I ever did was push him away.”

“But he loves you.”

“Toph says so, too.” At Katara’s confused look, he quickly explained what he meant. “She talked to him once and apparently all he talked about was me and how he wanted me to find my own way.”

“See? He loves you.”

“That’s not the point. I never doubted that he loved me and cared for me. The point is that I mistreated him. Every time I shut him down, turned him away or yelled at him, he came back to me to help me. Now I haven’t seen him in so long.” Zuko’s voice came out tight like he was fighting back tears and Katara’s face scrunched up in sympathy. “I’m scared that- I want him to- What if-”

Without another word, Zuko began to cry and turned away from Katara fully. She swallowed thickly, unsure of what to do. All she could think of was confronting his fears.

“I know what you’re scared off. You think because he never contacted you again, that he was finally turned his back to you. But Zuko, you must realise that with you on the run and working with us, it is both dangerous and hard to contact you. After all this is over, you two can reunite.”

“He will turn me away!” Zuko sobbed out. “After all I’ve done, how could he not?”

“As I said, he loves you. And when you love people, you forgive them, especially if they regret their bad actions. You are so regretful of the way you treated him. All you need to do is talk to him and apologise. He will be more than happy to see you.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Zuko tried to calm his breathing and stop his tears, only partially succeeding. “Thank you, Katara. I don’t know why I can’t just believe it. Everyone tells me that I need to apologise and that he will still love me. Yet, I am so unsure.”

“You just have to try to believe us. If all you can do is try, then do that.” Katara approached him. “Just try to believe us.”

“I’m trying really hard.”

“Then that is enough.”

With that, she embraced him, hoping it would help him and calm him down. It did the opposite. Zuko pushed out of the embrace and shook his head in panic. Katara took a step back, unsure of what he would do. The firebender just turned from her and began to walk off.

“What was that about?”

“I don’t do hugs and cuddles. I don’t deserve to be comforted and I don’t need it, either.”

Katara was about to argue but stopped herself when he saw that Zuko had already entered his room. He slammed the door and Katara went back to extinguishing the lights.

They had to fix this.

\---

\+ I.

“Being part of the groups also means being part of group hugs.”

Zuko eyed Katara with hesitation. Said girl waved her hand a little, inviting Zuko into the group hug. Aang smiled encouragingly and so did Suki. Toph nodded her head to signalise Zuko that he should come over. Sokka smiled widely at him. Zuko quickly shook his head, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture.

“No, I’m not a touchy person but I appreciate the gesture.”

“Oh, come on!” Sokka exclaimed. “Five seconds and we’ll let you go.”

“Sokka, I-”

“Two seconds?”

Zuko looked back at the group who were all looking at him invitingly. Aang and Sokka separated, making space for him and Zuko relented. He sighed softly and gingerly stepped over, inching towards the hug. None of the others had ever seen this reluctance in Zuko. 

When he was in grabbing distance, the others pulled him into the hug. Instead of simply standing in the circle like everyone else, they crowded him into the middle of their group hug and closed the circle in on him.

Zuko went rigid as everyone came closer. All of them were so soft and gentle with him, embracing him with their warmth and Zuko felt his heartbeat speed up. He was sure, if none of them had noticed his agitation before, that now Toph must have noticed the increase of his heartbeat and the change in his breathing. Surely, she would now start laughing at the former fire prince that was so unused to care and hugs that he went absolutely crazy at the prospect of them; the prince who felt so undeserving of love that he pushed everyone away. Surely, she would tell the others and they would ridicule him, or worse patronise him.

To his surprise, none of that happened. Toph only tightened her hold on him, leaning her cheek against his shoulder. “You’re okay. Just breathe.” She mumbled.

Aang perked up at that and eyed Zuko. “Are you uncomfortable?”

“Well, we should probably let the poor guy go.” Suki chuckled nervously, trying to loosen her grip.

Zuko looked up in panic at the prospect of losing this warmth and care. “No!” He blurted out before he could stop himself.

“No?” Katara looked at him. “Zuko, what’s going on?”

“You can totally tell us.” Sokka promised. “We won’t laugh or judge you.”

“You will.” Zuko shook his head, groaning from the stress he was putting himself under. “You will send me away.”

“We won’t.” Toph said quietly. “Come on, now. What reason would I have to lie to you?”

“You won’t?”

“Avatar promise.” Aang said with a hint of laughter in his voice. “Really, Zuko.”

“No one has been this nice to me in so long.” Zuko managed to choke out. “No one has hugged me in so long.”

“We tried.” Katara tried to defend herself.

“I’m not trying to make you feel bad!” Zuko exclaimed. “I know I lashed out on you whenever you tried and sent you off. But- How do I say this?”

“Take your time.” Suki said. “We have time.”

“We really don’t!” Zuko exclaimed. “The cometh-”

“We have time to care for a friend.” Aang reassured him.

“I didn’t know we were friends.”

“You’re kidding right?” Sokka chuckled. “I mean we had a rocky start and we really didn’t want to befriend you, but we did! You are so much nicer and friendlier than we had expected! How could we not be friends by now? You helped rescue my dad!”

“I- Seriously?”

“Seriously.” Katara nodded. “Even the two of us befriended one another. Come on, Zuko, you don’t seriously believe that we aren’t friends, right?”

“I do.” Zuko said in a pained voice. “I mean why would you want to be my friend? No one ever really wanted to be my friend and after all I’ve done, you are the last people I’d expect to be willing to befriend me.”

“After all you’ve done.” Sokka nodded dutifully. “You mean risking your life to help and rescue my father?”

“And me?” Suki added.

“After you’ve gone to find the source of firebending with me, just so you could teach me?” Aang asked. “I mean, yes, it was also for your sake but it was for mine, as well!”

“After you helped me hunt down the man that killed my mother?” Katara asked softly.

Toph chuckled. “Great, I never went on a life-changing field trip with Zuko. But you’ve helped us a lot, in general. I mean who else would have taught Twinkle Toes to firebend? Who else would have fought off the explosions guy or fought Azula so we had time to get away?”

“I just feel undeserving of your care.”

“I mean it’s not that easy to overcome these feelings, but you don’t have to feel this way.” Suki said softly. “You’re a good guy and you’re a great asset to the team.”

“And a great friend.” Aang added.

“And a great teacher.” Katara smiled.

Sokka nodded. “And actually pretty funny.”

“We genuinely like you.” Toph said. 

Zuko looked at the others for a few seconds before allowing himself to sink into the warmth of their embrace, relaxing slightly. He heard Katara mumble something approving and Aang say something in a comforting voice but he had stopped listening. All he really acknowledged anymore was the warmth and pressure of everyone’s bodies against his. It was wonderful, reminiscent of the way his uncle used to embrace Zuko when he was still a boy, before the Agni Kai and before Iroh’s actions became too hesitant and careful. 

Tears sprang to Zuko’s eyes at the thought of his uncle but he willed them down. It was bad enough that he revealed his insecurities to his new friends, he didn’t need them to see him crying. But apparently Toph had the ability to feel his crying or something along those lines because she knew – of course, she did.

“Don’t cry.” She said quietly. “Come on, there’s no need to cry.”

“Let him cry if he needs to.” Katara said back to her. “It’s alright, Zuko.”

“Yes, better let it out while we can comfort you.” Aang said enthusiastically. 

“No one will laugh at you.” Sokka promised.

Suki nodded. “If they do, I’ll kick their butts.”

“Thank you.” 

And even Appa seemed to agree, since he came down from above, sending everyone tumbling to the ground in a fit of laughter where they all quickly went back to holding Zuko tightly.

He was finally loved and accepted.

**Author's Note:**

> All my other WIPs will obviously be continued in due time. I'm just trying my best to keep everything updated but sometimes the inspiration is lacking. But there will by more Avatar stories I think, mainly focusing on platonic relationships because I loved them that much more than the romantic ones in the show!
> 
> Anyways, Kudos and Comments are always appreciated.  
> Come talk to me on Tumblr if you want to @ https://xstick-noodlesx.tumblr.com/
> 
> See you ^^


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